So many newly hatched stagers, fresh out of their shells, come into this industry wet with swollen eyes; their vision is blurred by marathons of "Sell This House," "Designed to Sell," and "The Stagers." The excitement on entering this new world pricks their senses as imaginations kick into overdrive.

They daydream of sweeping into a house, waving a magic, and (poof!) the house is spontaneously transformed into a glorious image sure to have buyers beating down the door! The phone rings non-stop while emails mount in their boxes. Newspaper articles, paparazzi flashes, and the coveted HGTV spot are within reach...

Fresh and shiny from their training course, they head out to their first Realtor's office with their ink-jet brochures and presentation binder in hand just knowing they will score big! --- They don't. (Insert your own tire screech here.) The glamorous lifestyle that seemed within reach is now miles away.

The truth is... starting a home staging business is a lot harder than most anticipate which explains why many drop the dream before it has a chance to mature. With wide eyes most jump on the Home Staging Tilt-a-Whirl and are thrown off before they get a chance to fasten their seatbelts. Blood, sweat, and tears combined with time, money, and effort will test the sanity of all staging entreprenuers.

What separates success stories from failures?

DESIRE.   DRIVE.   DETERMINATION.

Those who are steadfast in the home staging business are committed to succeed through the good times and the bad. (Trust me, there will be bad times.) Stagers who weather the storms come out ahead by learning from their mistakes. (Trust me, there will be mistakes.)

Home staging in the real world is NOT a glamorous life style! By the end of the day, real stagers are exhausted from driving across town to appointments; packing, unpacking, and repacking inventory; moving furniture, art work, and accessories up and down the stairs. Our feet hurt, our backs hurt, our necks hurt, and our hurts hurt.

This post is not a rant. It is not a complaint. It is not whining. It is an accurate description of an overly glamorized profession. Just as real doctors experiences are exaggerated by Grey's Anatomy, television has educated the public with a cloudy perception of the staging industry.

Those who dive into the staging pool do so because they like it. The ones who dare to swim into the deep end do so because they love it! Yes, we are tired. Yes, sometimes we're broke. Yes, we can get discouraged. But we love the job! It is demanding. It is consuming. It is unpredictable. But we love the job!

Being a stager is not just what we do... it is who we are!

KFM Staging & Design is a Minnesota home staging company that creates "First Impressions that Sell" in the Twin Cites and Western Wisconsin.  KFM specializes in vacant staging and staging consultations.  Visit our website for staging tips or to schedule your in-home or online consultation.